Primary income payments in South Africa
South Africa: Primary income payments was 20.32 billion BoP, current US$ in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
20.32 billion BoP, current US$
Change on year
up 9.3%
World rank
47th
of 199 countries
All-time high
20.32 billion BoP, current US$
in 2025
All-time low
386.40 million BoP, current US$
in 1963
Years of data
66
1960–2025
Primary income payments in South Africa, 1960–2025
Source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in BoP, current US$.
Analysis
The most recent figure for primary income payments in South Africa is 20.32 billion BoP, current US$, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
That represents a change of up 9.3% on the previous year and up 29.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, primary income payments in South Africa peaked at 20.32 billion BoP, current US$ in 2025 and was at its lowest, 386.40 million BoP, current US$, in 1963.
That places South Africa 47th out of 199 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Primary income payments in South Africa, year by year
| Year | BoP, current US$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 396.20 million BoP, current US$ | — |
| 1961 | 436.80 million BoP, current US$ | +10.2% |
| 1962 | 397.60 million BoP, current US$ | -9.0% |
| 1963 | 386.40 million BoP, current US$ | -2.8% |
| 1964 | 459.20 million BoP, current US$ | +18.8% |
| 1965 | 504.00 million BoP, current US$ | +9.8% |
| 1966 | 544.60 million BoP, current US$ | +8.1% |
| 1967 | 592.20 million BoP, current US$ | +8.7% |
| 1968 | 666.40 million BoP, current US$ | +12.5% |
| 1969 | 774.20 million BoP, current US$ | +16.2% |
| 1970 | 840.00 million BoP, current US$ | +8.5% |
| 1971 | 858.36 million BoP, current US$ | +2.2% |
| 1972 | 913.61 million BoP, current US$ | +6.4% |
| 1973 | 1.31 billion BoP, current US$ | +43.1% |
| 1974 | 1.55 billion BoP, current US$ | +18.7% |
| 1975 | 1.86 billion BoP, current US$ | +19.7% |
| 1976 | 1.87 billion BoP, current US$ | +0.5% |
| 1977 | 2.00 billion BoP, current US$ | +7.2% |
| 1978 | 2.35 billion BoP, current US$ | +17.3% |
| 1979 | 2.92 billion BoP, current US$ | +24.1% |
| 1980 | 3.92 billion BoP, current US$ | +34.3% |
| 1981 | 4.13 billion BoP, current US$ | +5.3% |
| 1982 | 3.60 billion BoP, current US$ | -12.8% |
| 1983 | 4.01 billion BoP, current US$ | +11.4% |
| 1984 | 3.73 billion BoP, current US$ | -7.1% |
| 1985 | 3.57 billion BoP, current US$ | -4.2% |
| 1986 | 4.15 billion BoP, current US$ | +16.2% |
| 1987 | 4.47 billion BoP, current US$ | +7.9% |
| 1988 | 4.42 billion BoP, current US$ | -1.2% |
| 1989 | 4.57 billion BoP, current US$ | +3.4% |
| 1990 | 4.93 billion BoP, current US$ | +7.9% |
| 1991 | 4.08 billion BoP, current US$ | -17.1% |
| 1992 | 3.87 billion BoP, current US$ | -5.2% |
| 1993 | 3.35 billion BoP, current US$ | -13.4% |
| 1994 | 3.39 billion BoP, current US$ | +1.3% |
| 1995 | 4.01 billion BoP, current US$ | +18.2% |
| 1996 | 4.19 billion BoP, current US$ | +4.6% |
| 1997 | 4.61 billion BoP, current US$ | +10.0% |
| 1998 | 4.66 billion BoP, current US$ | +1.0% |
| 1999 | 5.00 billion BoP, current US$ | +7.3% |
| 2000 | 5.70 billion BoP, current US$ | +13.9% |
| 2001 | 6.27 billion BoP, current US$ | +10.0% |
| 2002 | 4.98 billion BoP, current US$ | -20.6% |
| 2003 | 7.45 billion BoP, current US$ | +49.7% |
| 2004 | 7.58 billion BoP, current US$ | +1.7% |
| 2005 | 9.57 billion BoP, current US$ | +26.3% |
| 2006 | 11.24 billion BoP, current US$ | +17.4% |
| 2007 | 16.73 billion BoP, current US$ | +48.8% |
| 2008 | 15.08 billion BoP, current US$ | -9.9% |
| 2009 | 10.69 billion BoP, current US$ | -29.1% |
| 2010 | 12.83 billion BoP, current US$ | +20.1% |
| 2011 | 16.20 billion BoP, current US$ | +26.2% |
| 2012 | 16.86 billion BoP, current US$ | +4.1% |
| 2013 | 16.41 billion BoP, current US$ | -2.6% |
| 2014 | 17.00 billion BoP, current US$ | +3.6% |
| 2015 | 15.76 billion BoP, current US$ | -7.3% |
| 2016 | 14.18 billion BoP, current US$ | -10.0% |
| 2017 | 16.66 billion BoP, current US$ | +17.5% |
| 2018 | 19.38 billion BoP, current US$ | +16.4% |
| 2019 | 18.30 billion BoP, current US$ | -5.6% |
| 2020 | 13.62 billion BoP, current US$ | -25.6% |
| 2021 | 19.42 billion BoP, current US$ | +42.6% |
| 2022 | 20.01 billion BoP, current US$ | +3.0% |
| 2023 | 16.98 billion BoP, current US$ | -15.1% |
| 2024 | 18.60 billion BoP, current US$ | +9.5% |
| 2025 | 20.32 billion BoP, current US$ | +9.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 515.76 million BoP, current US$ | 386.40 million BoP, current US$ | 774.20 million BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.65 billion BoP, current US$ | 840.00 million BoP, current US$ | 2.92 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 1980s | 4.06 billion BoP, current US$ | 3.57 billion BoP, current US$ | 4.57 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.21 billion BoP, current US$ | 3.35 billion BoP, current US$ | 5.00 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2000s | 9.53 billion BoP, current US$ | 4.98 billion BoP, current US$ | 16.73 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 16.36 billion BoP, current US$ | 12.83 billion BoP, current US$ | 19.38 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 18.16 billion BoP, current US$ | 13.62 billion BoP, current US$ | 20.32 billion BoP, current US$ | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More economy & growth data for South Africa
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 0.4836 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 1.4 Percent per annum (2029)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current LCU), annual growth 3.79 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current LCU), per unit of GDP 16.1 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current LCU), per capita 106,203 current LCU per person (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (constant 2015 US$), annual 1.18 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (constant 2015 US$), per unit 0.7819 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (constant 2015 US$), per 5,158 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (constant LCU), annual growth 1.17 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (constant LCU), per unit of 9.97 constant LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is primary income payments in South Africa?
- Primary income payments in South Africa was 20.32 billion BoP, current US$ in 2025, according to Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest primary income payments recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 20.32 billion BoP, current US$ in 2025.
- What is the lowest primary income payments recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 386.40 million BoP, current US$ in 1963.
- How does South Africa rank for primary income payments?
- South Africa ranks 47th out of 199 countries with data for 2025.
- Is primary income payments rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 29.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Primary income payments (BoP, current US$). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 66 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Primary income payments refer to employee compensation paid to nonresident workers and investment income (payments on direct investment, portfolio investment, other investments).This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This indicator is expressed in United States dollars.